Wheel.



'M. L. DONAWAY.

WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1914.

1,1 1 3,963. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Eldon Wow MILTON L. someway, or "scorn ZBELLINGHAM; WKs-HINGTOfiQ WHEEL appueeeen mes April 15,

Specification of Letters recent.

19-14. serial No; 332,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON L. DoNAwAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at- South Bellingham, in the county ofWha-t com and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

This invention relates to improvements in wheels, and more particularly to cushioned Wheels which are adapted for use upon vehicles.

An object of this invention is the provision of a wheel of this character which is provided with concentric rims between which cushioning blocks are mounted, the rims being readily detachable from each other and from the spokes of the wheel.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a wheel which is provided with concentric rims, the rims being maintained in their concentric relationby a plurality of adjustable spacing members, the outer i rim being connected to the hub by a plurality of adjustable spokes, the outer ends of which bear against the inner rim between adjacent spacing members of the rims.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel contruction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which, v

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of my improved wheel; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3. is a sectional View on the 1ine33 of Fig. 1;

and Fig. 4 is an elevational View partly in section, of a slightly modified form of spoke.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the hub of my improved wheel, in which are mounted theinner ends of the inner sections 2 of the adjustable spokes, the outer ends of the sections 2 of the spokes being interiorly thread? ed as at 8, for the reception of the threaded stems 4: of the outer sections 5 of the spokes. The outer section 5 of each spoke comprises a head from which the threaded stem 4 projects inwardly, the head of each section having a forwardly extending semi-annular projection 6 whichis swivelly mounted in the arcuate recess 7 of the clamping plate 8. Each of the clamping plates 8 is provided on its opposite side edges with oppositely 15 of the plates bolts 19. The heads 19 of jec'tion's 20 "which 1 ment in the ar'cuate recesses 21 formed in the inner faeesjof the plates 14. From this con star-enema will be seen thatthe bolts 18 1 may be readilyturned to force the plates 13 v and 14 apartandinto clamping engagement extending flanges 9, for engagement with the opposite sides of the inner rim 10 of the wheel. A11 enter concentric rimilis also "rovid-ed, the rims 10 and 11 being main ained their 'conc'entricrelation by meah's of the adjustablesectional spacing members 12. Eaeh of the spacing member's comprises an inner clamping plate 13 which is adapted to engage the outer face of the inner rim 10 and an outer clamping plate 14 which is adapted for engagement against the inner face of the outer rimir. The inner clamping plate 13 isprovided on its opposite end edges with inwardly extending flanges 15 which are adapted for. engagement with the opposite sides of ther'im' 10', and the clamp ing plate 14 is provided on its opposite end edges with outwardly extending flanes 16 which are relativel longer than the anges 13 and are adaptedto etigage the opposite sides of the rim 11, which project slightly beyeha the enter face ithe'reofj 1 The inner-plates 13 are provided with outwardly projecting reduced tubular ex,

: tensions 17 ,-the extensions being interiorly threaded feethereeepaen of the adjusting the adjusting bolts are, provided with semi-annular proare adapted fofehgage with the itinerrim 10 and the outer rim 11 respectively, to maintain the rims in their ,eenee'ntrie relation. v Formed intervals around the" eireiim lferenee er the inner rim i0 its outer face .are pairs of spaced stop lugs or cleats 22,

and similar lugs 23 are formed on the inner lftt-CG of the outer rim 11 in radial alinement with the cleatsl22, the clamping plates 13 which engage the inner rim of the wheel and the clamping plates 14 which engage the outer rim of the wheel being disposed between the pairsof cleats 22 and 23 respectively. The pairs of cleats 22 and 23 are spaced slightly from the opposite side edges of the clamping plates 13 and 14, respectively, and disposed between each clamping plate 18 and the inner rim 10 is a cushioning plate 24 which iscomposed of rubber or other suitable flexible material, the opposite ends of the plates 24 projecting Patented oeezo, 1914.

24 and25. A cushioning tire 26 of composition rubber or other flexible material, is mounted upon the outer face ofthe outer rim 11, the tire being held in its relative position with relation to therim, by means of the extremities of the flanges 16 of the clamping plates 14:, which engage the opposite sides of the tire. The rims 10 and 11 are preferably composed of thin steel which has a certain amount of inherent resiliency.

In assembling my improved wheel, the

, outer sections 5 of the spokes are rotated to move the same inwardly within the outer ends ofthe inner sections of the spokes, and theurims 10 and 11 are connected together in proper concentric relation to each other by the spacing members 12 whereupon the rims are placed in their concentric relation withthe hub 1 of the wheel so that the outer sections 5 of the spokes may be turned in the reverse direction to move the clamping plates 8 outwardly into engagement with the inner rim 10. When the sections of the wheel are-assembled in 7 this manner, the wheel is ready fOI'FLlSQ, and owing to the flexibility of the rims, the shocks which are ordinarily imposed upon the body of the i vehicle are absorbed equally by the rims.

Itwill be seen that a slight circumferential movement of the inner rim relative to the outer rim is allowed, owing to the projecting ends of the cushioning plates 24 and 25 which engage with the stop lugs 22 and 23 of thexinner rim and the outer rim, respectively.,

In Fig; 4 of the drawing, 1 have illustrated an alternative form of the inner section of the spoke which is adapted for use in connection with my improved wheel, the inner section 27 of the spoke in this form of device being constructed of wood in the usual manner, and having a tubular metallic sleeve 28 mounted on the outer end thereof, the bore of the sleeve being enlarged as at 29 for the reception of the outer end of the spoke, and the forward end of the bore being threaded as at 30 to receive the threaded stem 4 of the outer section of the spoke which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure and claim by Letters Patent is 1. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, spokes extending radially from the hub, an inner rim carried upon the outer ends of the spokes, an outer concentric rim, spacing members disposed between said outer and inner rims, said spacing members comprising adjustably connected clamping plates for engagement against the opposing faces of said rims, cushioning blocks disposed between said clamping plates and said rims, and means for resiliently holding said spacing members in adjusted position with relation to the rims.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, spokes extending radially from said hub, an inner rim carried upon the outer ends of said spokes, an outer concentric rim, pairs of spaced lugs formed at intervals upon the inner face of the outer rim, spacing members disposed between said inner and outer rims, said spacing members including plates for engagement between the pairs of lugs on the inner face of said outer rim, and a cushioning block disposed between each plate and the inner face of the outer rim, the op posite ends of said cushioning blocks being adapted to project beyond the opposite sides of said plates for engagement with the adjacent lugs, as and for the purpose described. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON L. DONAVVAY. Witnesses:

J. B. MOMILLAN, P. M. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

